Cork University Hospital still losing staff members

Cork University Hospital (CUH) had 101 fewer staff in October than it had in August, the latest staff census shows.

Staffing numbers in Cork hospitals, particularly CUH, have decreased from the level they were at before the recruitment embargo — introduced in autumn 2023 — was lifted, HSE employment reports show.

In July, the month that HSE CEO Bernard Gloster announced that the embargo had been lifted, there were 8,454 staff across the five Cork hospitals. 

This included 5,341 in CUH, 1,483 in Mercy University Hospital, 952 in South Infirmary Victoria University Hospital (SIVUH), 350 in Mallow General, and 328 in Bantry General.

In August, staff levels had increased by 39, though this increase in headcount was seen as insufficient to address either the vacancies that had arisen during the ongoing moratorium or the pressure the service was facing.

Headcount

CUH’s headcount increased by just six from July to August, with growth of 16 in the Mercy, 11 in SIVUH, as well as three each in Mallow and Bantry making up the rest of the increases.

However, since these modest increases, the numbers have gone down instead of up.

Growth was reversed by September, when there were 50 fewer people working across the five hospitals than there had been in August.

From September to October, the number had further decreased by 19, despite 32 more staff in SIVUH during that period.

CUH has lost the most staff, losing 49 from August to September and 52 from September to October. Overall, the hospital has 95 fewer staff than it did in July when the recruitment embargo was lifted and removed with the HSE pay and numbers strategy, suggesting that it is still difficult to replace and retain staff.

Fewer nurses and midwives

There are 58 fewer nurses and midwives in CUH than there were in August, with this figure falling steadily each month.

A small increase in consultants and registrars was offset by decreases in patient and client care staff, general support staff, and management and administrative staff.

While staff headcount falls, the number of patients being treated on trolleys in the hospital’s emergency department and wards has remained high, and is currently increasing.

Some 12,577 patients have been treated on trolleys in CUH this year, 5,771 of these since July when the embargo was lifted.

CUH has had consistently the second-worst overcrowding in Ireland, after University Hospital Limerick.

The Echo contacted South South West Hospital Group for comment.